Brothers of Heaven, Earth and Hell
by n.wellsjordan
Summary: Bean lives a simple life, scarred by a awful tragedy and haunted by a terrible promise. His life is simple, because to stay alive it needs to be.
1. Episode I

**Episode I**

**Clouds blanketed the warm San Franciscan bay on a typical Wednesday. At a small school nestled deep within Japan town sat a young boy. He stood 5'9", sporting long, black, wavy hair coated in a greasy layer of complacency. Dull, black eyes hid behind the illusion of submission stated by his standard Japanese male school uniform. Even though he attended a private Japanese school he wasn't Japanese; the school was for parents that wanted their children to grow up instilled with Japanese values but not being Japanese wasn't a disqualifying factor. School had started more than two hours ago, now going on three, but the boy didn't seem to care. Instead he just sat there staring off at the fog with unblinking eyes.**

**"****Bean!" A voice yelled from behind him.**

**He turned to see that it was the Senior Class President, May Himura, standing behind him. With extremely fair skin, soft pink lips and long black hair that bounced to curls by her breasts she was the wet dream of every guy and the envy of every girl in school. Everyone wanted her but so far no one had gotten her. She was always preoccupied with her studies or extra-curricular activities to be bothered with a boyfriend; living her parents dream of going to Tokyo University after she had graduated. Now the rest of her free time was being devoted to making sure Bean was in class.**

**"****Class started three hours ago!" She scolded.**

**He turned away from her and went back to his thoughts.**

**"****Well? Aren't you going to get going?" She continued.**

**Bean sighed and eventually stood up. He turned and stared into her eyes with his own with lifelessness in them. Knowing that he was looking past her and not at her she stood there unaffected. In the beginning when he did this she would try to understand it, try to find some kind of hidden meaning in it, but after going through the same thing over and over again, day in and day out she eventually stopped caring. Bean walked away with May right behind him, making sure he made it to class.**

**School days always dragged along for Bean, a monotonous consistence of roll call, turning in homework assignments, lectures, sleeping in class, reprimandations and after school hours. His teachers didn't understand. He was inconsistent with turning in homework assignments, missed numerous amounts of school days and only kept the minimum GPA of passing, but his work showed that he could easily be a 4.0 honor roll student. To them it seemed like he was fine with being mediocre. They talked to him numerous of times about it, but yet every time they tried they were just met with silence and blank stares.**

**The three o'clock bell rang overhead at the top of the school; the school day was now over. Some kids stayed behind for their after-school activities, the rest could not leave school fast enough. Parents came in droves to collect their children, all driving brand new cars or close to it, with the rest of the students taking school buses back home. There was no parents waiting for Bean though, no school bus for him to take. Instead for him to get home consisted of a long journey of buses, Bay Area Regional Transit (BART) and walking. Unlike the other kids of the school, who lived in beautiful homes that were comprised of no less than three bedrooms and in neighborhoods of neatly groomed lawns, Bean lived in what they would consider squalor. He walked alone down a street strewn with trash and with street lights that were either dim, blinking or out completely. This is where he lived, in a rundown industrial part of town that the city turned a blind eye to. He came to an old car maintenance shop and stopped at one of the three garage doors. He looked over both of his shoulders twice. No one was around. He then opened the garage door to a dog waiting patiently on the other side. He was an old dog, a mutt with dirty looking black, white and brown fur. Bean closed the garage door and the dog came over to him and jumped on him.**

**"****Hey Blue." He said as he petted his head and guided him down.**

**"****You hungry? He asked as he walked from the bedroom (2****nd**** garage) to the living room (1****st**** garage).**

**Blue barked as he followed his master. From the living room they walked into the main entrance where the customers would enter. This was the dining room, which consisted of a stolen wooden park table and benches with two lawn chairs on the other side. From there they entered the waiting room, from which they converted over into a kitchen complete with an electric range, sink, microwave, dressers for food, a refrigerator and other miscellaneous kitchen items.**

**For dinner would be spaghetti with a candy bar for desert for Bean and dog food with dog treats for desert for Blue. After dinner they went to the living room, which consisted merely of an old dingy couch, a beat down TV, a hammock off in the corner and a pile of spread out blankets for Blue, and watched TV until both of them fell asleep. Tomorrow was another day of more of the same thing as this day held for him. His life had become routine. **


	2. Episode II

**Episode II**

**May's alarm clock buzzed to life at 4:00am. She awoke instantly, turned it off and sat up. Her pink nightgown unbunched itself as she stretched with a yawn. She began to undress as she went to her bathroom. She began her day just like any other; with a shower. She brushed her teeth in there as well. This gave her the extra time she needed to quadruple check her homework and go over her schedule for the day so she could check for in discrepancies and memorize it. With her body washed and her priorities rechecked for the fourth time she quickly dressed herself and headed down for breakfast.**

**Always up before her parents she was use to eating by herself. Even if she did wake up at the same time they did she still wouldn't be able to eat breakfast with them as for they did not eat breakfast. With her mother a neurosurgeon, and her father the head of San Francisco's human resources department they had very little time for her; something that she had grown quite accustom to. The only way she ever received their acknowledgement and appreciation was through her hard work and accomplishments. She thought that this was all that she needed, all that she desired. However as she sat there, eating her cereal, a feeling of emptiness crept inside of her. She had felt this feeling a few times before. She could never determine why she felt this unusual feeling though so she would answer it by shaking it off as nothing. Her parent were now up, just as she was finishing her meal, scrambling for their things and their morning cup of coffee. Good mornings were exchanged, always in Japanese. After the pleasantries were said the rest of the meaningless morning banters of school, homework and other things commenced. These conversations were hollow, she longed to talk to them about other things, anything else besides work. She couldn't through, because she knew they wouldn't. They never had time. At times she wished she had someone to talk to; someone to share her hopes and dreams, fears and frustrations with, but all the boys at the school only wanted one thing from her and everyone else seemed too stupid for a real meaningful conversation. She hoped this would change one day, but for right now all she had were her studies.**

**May arrived at the school just as the sun crested over the horizon. She gathered her things and stepped out of the silver 2012 Mercedes-Benz.**

**"****Have a good day." Her mother said to her as she exited the car.**

**"****You too." May responded automatically.**

**There was a momentary pause and May thought she'd try her luck.**

**"****I…"**

**Her mother sped off, not knowing that May had started a sentence.**

**"****love you…" She finished with a painful sigh.**

**May walked through the halls of the school, each step creating an echo throughout the hallways. She loved being the first one at school, gave her time to get her mind right on her studies. As she was about to enter the library to get her things ready for her student council briefing a voice called out from behind her. She turned to find that it was the principle, his body sticking half way out of his office.**

**"****May I speak to you in my office for a minute?" He asked before stepping back into it.**

**(Speak to me in his office?) She thought to herself.**

**She began to slowly walk towards it, giving herself time to contemplate what she could have possibly done wrong. She entered his office, without being able to come up with an answer as to why she was being called in there, and sat down nervously.**

**"****You wanted to see me sir?" She asked, her voice on the verge of trembling.**

**"****Yes. I wanted to talk to you about Jimmy." He stated.**

**A wave of relief washed over her, quickly followed by a wave of disgust. Jimmy Bean, her least favorite topic.**

**"****What about him sir?" She asked, the tone of her voice going from that of fear to one of hatred.**

**"****I and the rest of the faculty are worried about him. Here, take a look at these." He said as he passed her copies of Bean's homework, tests and a copy of his attendance record.**

**May began to look them over and what she saw shocked her. All of the answers on his homework and tests were correct. He even got the answers right to the questions she herself had failed. His attendance record however spoke more to the Bean that she knew. There wasn't a week or month where Bean wasn't absent. Sometimes there would be a week where Bean would have been to school only one out of the five days.**

**"****This isn't logical." She said as she gave the documents back to him.**

**"****He must have cheated somehow."**

**"****We've suspected that as well. However every time we retested him with a different version of the test he would still pass with flying colors."**

**"****I don't understand this. If he's this smart then why are his grades so low?"**

**"****Neither do we. He has the potential to become this school's greatest scholar, but yet he seems to be squandering it away."**

**(Greatest scholar?) She thought.**

**That was her title. However she was in student president mode now, and her duty was to help every student she could to the best of her ability; no matter who it was or what they were capable of.**

**"****Have you tried talking to him about this?" She asked.**

**"****Yes. Several times on numerous occasions. Each time though he was unresponsive and wouldn't talk to us."**

**She could see where this was going.**

**"****And you want me to talk to him about it for you?" She asked reluctantly.**

**"****Yes. We feel that if a member of the student body were to talk to him about these matters that he just might listen."**

**"****I've tried talking to him several times about a many of things. I still always get that same blank stare that I'm sure you guys must've have probably gotten."**

**"****You've never talked to him about this before though. This is his future."**

**"****He won't listen to me." May said, getting frustrated.**

**The principle stood up.**

**"****I look forward to your report."**

**May now knew that this wasn't open for debate. She bit her bottom lip to hold in her anger.**

**"****Yes sir." She said annoyed as she got up and left.**

**It was lunchtime and the cafeteria bustled with activity. Students sat in their groups and talked about things that made up their lives; video games, TV, boyfriends and girlfriends and studies. Just like every other day Bean sat at the last table there was, eating by himself. However there was at times one person who would eat with him.**

**"****Hey Bean!" A cheerful voice called out to him.**

**He looked up from his meal to a girl with brilliant red curly hair and thick red framed glasses to match. It was Robin Coben, a freshman new to the school and part of the school's newspaper. Just like Bean she also had no friends; her Dyslexia and ADD made her too annoying for people to deal with, even Bean. But for some reason he tolerated and put up with her. A reason that was his and hers only to share.**

**"****Hey Red." He responded in acknowledgement.**

**She took a seat next to him at the table.**

**"****I heard that your name was brought up at the student council meeting today." Red said as she began to start her daily rants.**

**"****That's nice." Bean responded as he continued eating.**

**"****I don't know about what exactly they were talking about but I think it may be over your attendance record as usual."**

**"****Uh-huh."**

**"****If you want I could…"**

**"****No." Bean said, cutting her off.**

**"****But…"**

**"****No."**

**"****Are you sure?"**

**"****Yes."**

**"****So yes you want me to?"**

**"****Red…" He said, getting annoyed.**

**"****Alright alright." She said as she changed the subject.**

**"****Did you watch that one show I've been telling you about?" She asked.  
"No." He answered.**

**"****What? Why not?" She pouted.**

**"****I don't watch dramas."**

**She crossed her arms.**

**"****All you watch is the news Bean. You're so boring." She said, still pouting.**

**"****I like what I like."**

**"****Well I'm going to tell you what happened anyways. So, last night, Amber got told by Justin that Sean was cheating on her with some mystery girl who was actually just a friend from a long time ago but he still has feelings for her. So Amber…"**

**Bean began to tune her out as she continued to ramble about her favorite TV drama, with the occasional sidetracked story every now and again.**

**Off in the distance May ate her lunch with some of her other classmates. She would come in and out of conversations on topics she could talk about before her mind would drift off to the forced assignment that the Principle had given her. As she broke her gaze from her table her eyes quickly settled on Bean's table, he always sat at the same one. She wanted to go talk to him about it, get it over and done with, during lunch but had to change her plans when she saw Robin sitting with him. To everyone's knowledge Robin was the only person that Bean ever talked to; and to the rest of the school this made it look like they were dating. Neither of them ever confirmed or denied it but to May it was obvious that they weren't. They just didn't have that vibe that other couples gave off. To her they just seemed like two people making the best out of what they had. In any case she began to wonder why the Principle chose her instead of Robin; she was clearly the better choice in a situation such as this. In any case it didn't matter. She was class president. The educational and moral well-being of the students was her responsibility. And with that she put her thoughts back on her group and continued on with her lunch.**

**English was the next class to be had right after lunch, followed by Japanese and electorates at the end. As the teacher lectured on proper sentence and paragraph structuring Bean slept, quite noticeably. Several times the teacher would yell at him and tell him to wake up and he would. However each and every time a few minutes passed and he was once again right back to sleep. After the fourth time the teacher demanded that he either stand up in the back of the class or leave all together, his choice. He didn't want to be confrontational today, so as ordered he went to the back of the class and stood there. It wasn't too long before he fell asleep on his feet. Now even May was getting annoyed. She couldn't even begin to comprehend how someone could care so little about something that had the biggest impact on their future. She decided that even though it was the middle of class that it was time to have that talk with him. Right as she was about to get up a cell phone rang. It was Bean's. The whole class turned to look at him as he reached into his pocket and pulled it out.**

**"****Bean! Is that a cell phone?!" She yelled rhetorically.**

**Bean didn't answer. Instead he just walked out of the classroom, quickly and quietly, as he checked the number. Furiously, May gave chase after him. As she exited the classroom she saw Bean turning the corner. She ran after him and turned the corner just as he entered a cleaning gear locker. As she approached the locker she could him talking over the phone.**

**"****Go…how many? What time? Where at? Yea I can do that…"**

**After a minute of silence Bean hung up and opened the door with May standing on the other side of it. She was waiting for a bye and not hearing one before the door was opened startled her. Bean stood there, staring at her with the same blank stare he always gave her. **

**"****What the hell is wrong with you Bean?! She yelled, regaining her composure.**

**"****You know that cell phone usage is only permitted after school."**

**Bean said nothing. It was at this point that she had had enough. She got real close to him, her mouth directly on his ear. He could feel her breath against his ear.**

**"****Look." She said in a low voice. "The Principle wanted me to talk to you about your grades and attendance. But honestly I could give two shits less about that and even less about you. I've seen your work and all you are is a waste of talent. I'm actually glad you're like this because being at the top is my job. I work too damn hard for all of this and I'll be damned if I help some lazy delinquent take my spot. Go ahead and waste your life away, because I refuse to try and help you anymore. And when you're homeless and begging for change on a street corner, I'll look down upon you and laugh."**

**Bean gave her no acknowledgement, just stepped to the side and walked past her.**

**(How can he not care?) She thought to herself.**

**(How could one not care about their life so much? There has to be something to this!)**

**"****What is it you're hiding?!" She blurted out without thinking.**

**"****What is it that bring you back here every morning if you don't even care?!"**

**Bean stopped and looked back at her from over his shoulder.**

**"****You could never understand." He said before he started to walk off again.**

**These were the first words that he had ever spoken to her. Her curiosity was now peaked. She now had to learn that in which she could never understand.**


	3. Episode III

**Episode III**

**May second to last class, Japanese, was about to start. As the teacher took roll May scanned around the room for Bean, he was nowhere to be found. His absence was officially confirmed when the teacher called his name several times with no answer.**

**"****I think I saw him walking towards the main entrance before class." A student said.**

**(Bastard) May thought to herself before she bolted out the door.**

**This behavior was extremely unusual for May and her quick departure left the class murmuring amongst themselves in speculation.**

**As May raced through the hallways towards the school's entrance she noticed Robin going back to class after coming from the bathroom.**

**"****Robin!" May called out to her.**

**She stopped as May approached her.**

**"****You're Bean's best friend right?" May asked.**

**"****Really?! Bean said I was his best friend?!" Robin asked ecstatically.**

**"****Robin…"**

**"****I mean I knew we were close but I didn't think we were at the best friend level!"**

**"****Robin…"**

**"****This is so great! I wonder if I should give him something to commemorate this next step in our relationship."**

**"****Robin…"**

**"****I wonder what he'll like…"**

**"****Robin!" May yelled, getting her attention back.**

**"****Hm?"**

**"****He's ditched class once again and being his 'friend' I thought that you might know where he might be going."**

**"****Why?"**

**"****I'm going to catch him and bring him back to school."**

**"****Why?"**

**"****Because I'm the class president and it's my job."**

**"****That's not it."**

**"****Yes it is."**

**"****Not it's not."**

**"****What other reason could I have?"**

**Robin thought for a minute.**

**"****Hmm…I'm not sure. What I do know is that this goes a little beyond your class president duties. You've never gone off chasing after him before either."**

**"****Robin please. I don't have much time."**

**"****Ok. Try the BART station closest to here. That's his main mode of transportation."**

**"****Thank you." May said as she began to run off again.**

**"****Oh and May." Robin called**

**May stopped.**

**"****Curiosity kills."**

**It was 3:00pm exactly when May arrived at the BART station. She had run all the way there and took a moment to catch her breath. With her wind regained she began to scan the station for Bean. Sure enough he was there, waiting for the next train. Luckily she was far away from him, outside of his field of vision. It was there she wanted to stay. While he and her waited for the train Robin's last words continued to ring in May's head. They felt as if they carried a bad omen with them.**

**(Curiosity kills? What did she mean by that?) She thought to herself.**

**She quickly put it out of her mind, she had to stay focus**

**(Alright Bean, show me what I could never understand.)**

**The train that they caught had stopped in Oakland, where Bean disembarked with May right behind him. With their uniforms on they stuck out like sore thumbs. May continued to tail Bean and watched as he entered a cannabis club shop.**

**(Typical.) She thought to herself as she waited for him to come out.**

**Almost an hour later he exited the shop dressed in normal clothes carrying a backpack as he stuffed a cigarette pack into the pocket of the dress shirt he was wearing before he put a rolled joint in his mouth. He lit it and began to smoke as he continued to walk down the street with May right behind him. A cloud of marijuana smoke wafted back to her and filled her lungs. Not use to any kind of smoke she automatically began to choke and cough. Bean heard this and stopped dead in his tracks.**

**(Crap!) May thought knowing that he was about to turn around.**

**Sure enough he did, but his hesitation gave her enough time to duck around an alley, out of sight. Bean took another drag of his joint and exhaled before he continued on again.**

**(That was close.) She thought as she peeked from around the alley.**

**May continued to follow Bean to several more locations, each more random than the last. He stopped at an arcade a laundry mat and a mom and pop corner store, each time staying at each for at least an hour before departing.**

**(This is what I wouldn't understand? All he's doing is playing hookie. I knew he was nothing more than a delinquent.) She thought to herself.**

**She thought about confronting him, or going home altogether, but knew that there had to be something more to all this than what she was witnessing so far. The mystery of the mysterious phone call had not been answered in any of the places that he had visited so far. She had to continue following him. It was now approaching 8:00pm and Bean was still out and about, running his random errands, with May right behind him. His last stop was at a rundown bar. This one was different than the others thought, for instead of entering in the front like he did with all the others, this one he entered in the back. May took up a hiding spot behind a dumpster in the alley, sitting on an empty plastic milk container and waited for Bean to come back out. She was exhausted. Following him all over town really took a toll on her body and she had to struggle to keep herself awake for the hour she knew he'd be gone. An hour had passed by, followed by another and another and still there was no sign of Bean. She began to get worried.**

**"****Where is he?" She said to herself.**

**(Did he leave through the front?)**

**No. With every other place he had exited the same way her entered, and she knew that the same was going to be the case with this one. She had to be a little more patient, hold off her fatigue for a little while longer. She was able to stay away for only one more hour before her eyes finally gave out on her and she drifted away into sleep.**

**It was 2:00am when she woke back up. Groggily she looked at her watch.**

**(2:00am?! He must have left by now!) She thought in a panic.**

**(My parents must be freaking out! I've gotta get back home!) **

**As she got up to leave she heard several footsteps and voices coming from down the alley. She ducked back down in her hiding spot and peeked from around it. Five large black men in urban clothing were walking toward her direction, half hidden guns in their possession. She had never seen a gun in real life before and the sight of them, along with menacing men, frightened her. She pulled her head from around the corner of the dumpster as fear began to grip her.**

**(Calm down May.) She thought, consoling herself.**

**(They didn't see you. Just wait til they leave.)**

**The men stopped just a few feet away from the dumpster that she was hiding behind and waited. After a few moments the sound of an engine could be heard in the distance on the opposite side of the alley, the glow of reverse tail lights accompanying it. They came from a white van as it slowly backed its way down the alley towards the men. It stopped a couple of feet shy of them. From out the van came a figure more frightening than all of those men combined. She couldn't tell if they were male or female for they were dressed in all black and hooded with a shroud covering their face. The figure, which to May resembled death, walked to the back of the van and opened the back doors. Inside the van were no seats, just jam packed with assault rifles, shotguns and pistols with the ammunition to match. She was watching an arms deal take place.**

**"****Everything you asked for." The death figure said with a deep un-humanlike voice; it was obvious that they had a voice changer. **

**The men began to inspect the guns.**

**"****King shit." One of the men said as they cocked the gun back and inspected the chamber.**

**"****My payment?" The figure asked.**

**The man in front motioned with his head to another. That man came forward with a metal suitcase. He handed it to the figure and the figure opened it up and inspected it.**

**"****$100,000. As agreed." The man, who seemed to be in charge, said.**

**The figure nodded and closed the case. May stood there, paralyzed with fear. She felt that she had to do something to stop this. It was at that time she decided to call the police. She took out her phone but before she could even press 9 she felt the cold hard steel of a gun barrel pressing against the back of her head.**

**"****Put it down." The man ordered.**

**May quickly complied and felt his hand over her mouth as she was quickly snatched up.**

** "****Looks like we had someone trying to snitch." The man said, referring to a struggling May, his hand still cupped over her mouth. **

**In her struggle she bit down hard into his hand, drawing blood. The man yelled out as he let her go and then struck her across the face with the back of his hand. May fell to the ground with her right cheek cut open, leaking blood. She laid there crying, wishing that she never would have followed Bean.**

**"****What do you wanna do with her?" The man that was holding her asked.**

**"****I got an idea." The figure said. "Stand her up."**

**The man followed the order and picked May up. As soon as she was back on her feet the figure pulled out a .50cal revolver and pulled the trigger. Bright muzzle flash and loud bang came from the gun as the large .50cal round knocked her off her feet she was just placed on. Her mind went blank as she sailed through the air and was unconscious before she hit the ground.**

**"****There, problem solved." The figure stated as they holstered their revolver.**

**"****Damn! That shit was cold blooded!" One of the men proclaimed.**

**"****Are we done here?" The figure asked. "Cops will be here any minute."**

**"****He's right, let's go." The leader said.**

**He and the rest of the men piled into the van and drove off, leaving the figure alone with May's body. He walked up to her, flung her over his shoulder and walked off into the darkness. **


	4. Episode IV

**Episode IV**

**May awoke to a ray of light hitting her face. She opened her eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the dust particles dancing in front of her. Her body felt suspended; as she looked around her she realized it was because she was in a hammock. A further observation of her surroundings showed that she was in what looked like to be an old abandoned car garage. Never had she been in a place that was so below her social standards. Everything was run down with a visible film of dirt on it, even the floor. As she tried to sit up she was overcome with an unbearable pain that radiated in her chest. She let out a small wince as she brought up her hands in order to open up her blouse. It was at this point she realized that her hands, along with her feet, were bound and connected by nylon rope. She began to panic. She could remember nothing of last night after the flash from the figure's gun, she couldn't even understand as to how or why she was still alive. Now she was in what appeared to be a criminal's hideout as a prisoner. She did her best to force the questions from her mind right now along with fighting back tears as she checked the status of her gunshot wound. A large hole was in her blouse however the same could not be said for her chest. Instead of a bullet hole there was a large bruise that encompassed almost her entire chest. She could fight back the tears no longer. Nothing made sense to her anymore, but she didn't care about that. All she wanted to do was go home.**

** "****It's from the tranquilizer." A voice said to her.**

**Startled, she managed to fight through the pain so that she could sit up. From despair once again came fear because it was the dark figure person from last night who was sitting on the couch.**

**"****Help!" May yelled as loud as she could.**

**"****Someone help! Please help me!**

**He screaming had awoken the dog that was laying at the foot of her hammock. He began to bark viciously at her, frightening her even more.**

**"****Blue!" The figure boomed.**

**The dog stopped barking and May's hyperventilation took its place.**

**"****Come here Blue!" The figure demanded.**

**The dog did what its master ordered with his ears low and tail between his legs.**

**"****Go lay down!"**

**Once again the dog obeyed. **

**For some reason May had felt less threatened by this figure, but had not forgotten that this was still the person that shot her. The figure stood up from the couch and began to walk towards her. Every step they took towards her coincided with her heartbeat, their presence crippling her with fear. He stopped right at the edge of her hammock.**

**"****Let me see your chest." The figure said.**

**May nervously shook her head no.**

**"****That wasn't a request." The figure stated.**

**Slowly and reluctantly May opened her blouse enough to only show her bruise, hoping and assuming that was all they wanted to see.**

**"****I thought as much." They said aloud to themselves.**

**The figure then reached into his pocket and pulled out a tube of ointment.**

**"****Here." They said as they tossed it to her.**

**Unprepared, it landed in her lap.**

**"****Apply that to the bruise while I go get you something to eat." They said as they began to walk away.**

**"****Wait." May called out.**

**The figure stopped and turned back to her.**

**"****Who are you?" She asked, now knowing that this person meant her no harm.**

**The figure took off the hooded sweatshirt that they were wearing and revealed who they were.**

**"****Bean?" She said in shock.**

**He didn't answer.**

**"****Bean?!" She said again as questions began to answer themselves and all of her fear and despair turned into rage.**

**"****You son of a bitch!" She yelled as she thrashed about in the hammock.**

**She eventually flipped out of the hammock with all of her violent motion and Bean went back to help her up.**

**"****Don't touch me!" She yelled.**

**"****Fine." He said as he left to go fetch her breakfast.**

**"****Blue." Bean called.**

**He pricked up his ears and raised his head to his master's call.**

**"****Watch her. Make sure she doesn't hurt herself."**

**After Bean said those words Blue got up, walked over to May and sat in front of her, growling if she moved. After a while Bean returned with an omelet. May had managed to prop herself up with Blue still standing guard over her. As Bean approached Blue moved out of the way. He knelt down in front of her and set her food to the side. She looked away from him, not acknowledging his presence. It wasn't until he pulled out a large curved combat knife that he caught her attention.**

**"****I'm gonna cut you loose now. Alright?" He said, knife in front of her face.**

**She said nothing, just shook her head yes that she understood. Bean cut her feet free first and then her hands. As soon as her hands were free she pulled back her left hand and then let it fly in an attempt to slap him. Bean quickly caught it with his left and squeezed her wrist tightly. She let out a small yelp of pain before he grabbed her by the throat with his free right hand, choking her slightly.**

**"****Do not make me regret saving you." He threatened before he released her.**

**She took a deep breath and rubbed her neck as he picked her food back up. He tried to hand it to her but she knocked it away out of his hands. The food and plate flew across the room with the plate clanging against the ground before coming to a rest.**

**"****Alright." Bean said as he went to go pick up the food and plate.**

**"****But you should probably eat something soon. You haven't eaten since you got to the BART station yesterday."**

**"****You…you saw me?" She asked surprised.**

**She knew for a fact that she had been behind him all day yesterday, especially at the train station.**

**"****Yea. You were pretty obvious. Especially since you never ride the train and you were in a school uniform."**

**"****But…but how? I was behind you all day."**

**"****Reflections. I could see you in glass and windows we passed by."**

**She sat there in disbelief.**

**(What is he? Some kind of secret agent?) She thought to herself.**

**No time to think about that though. Even though she was no longer bound she knew that she was still his prisoner, along with the fact that he had shot her.**

**Silence had prevailed all the way to the early afternoon. May was still sitting in the hammock in the corner while Bean sat on the couch with Blue. For the most of the time from morning to afternoon Bean did his Friday homework, leaving the living room only for a few minutes to do other odd jobs. In the beginning May had tried to use the brief windows of opportunity of Bean leaving to try and make her escape. However the pain from her chest, along with the cut on her cheek, neck and wrist which were now also bruised, prevented her from moving fast enough. This was also compounded by the fact that every time she tried to leave the corner that was her cell Blue would bark her back into it. She had never had a pet, never had the time for one, but if she did she always wanted to have a cat. For some reason she had a natural fear of dogs that she could never explain. Now Blue was giving her reason.**

**Bean had left the room again, headed for the kitchen. When he returned he returned with a plate of food consisting of a hamburger with cheese on the side and a chili cheese dog. He offered them to her but again she just knocked it away onto the floor. Again Bean showed no anger, no frustration, just cleaned it up and threw it away. May was feeling faint from not eating, her stomach growls grew louder and louder, however she refused to accept his charity. With her anger fading she began to feel bad about how she was acting. He always brought her food without her asking and never showed any anger when she knocked it out of his hands. It would make her feel less guilty if he did.**

**"****You know I didn't understand, but now I do." May said, trying to get a rise out of him.**

**His back was to her, giving her no acknowledgement, as he sat on the couch and played with Blue.**

**"****You're not just only a delinquent, you're also a criminal!" She proclaimed.**

**"****That's why you go to school isn't it? So you can have a front for your illegal activities?!"**

**Bean still didn't respond.**

**"****Is that why you're keeping me prisoner here? So I don't go tell the police?!"**

**"****No." Bean finally responded.**

**Like always his timing caught her off guard.**

**"****Why then?!"**

**"****To make sure you were ok?"**

**"****Wa…what?" She asked, a little blush coming from her face for she was not expecting that to be his answer.**

**Bean didn't repeat himself.**

**"****And I guess shooting me in the chest is your definition of saving me?"**

**"****Yes."**

**"****That's not how you go about saving people!"**

**"****Would you have liked the other option?" Bean asked, breaking his attention from Blue and placing it on May.**

**"****What do you mean?"**

**"****You have no idea what they would've done to you do you?" He said as he paused for a moment for an answer; he got none.**

**"****They would've killed you, and that's only the best scenario. They could have beaten you, tortured you, raped you, held you for ransom or just sold you as a sex slave altogether."**

**"****That still doesn't mean you had to shoot me! You couldn't think of any other way?! How come you couldn't have shot them?!"**

**Bean wouldn't answer. He just shook his head and went back to Blue who was now sleeping on his lap.**

**Dusk had begun to set in and May was still confined to her hammock. She laid there while Bean was in the kitchen cooking. She couldn't move, her body was racked with hunger and pain. She just laid there, watching TV on infomercials on products that were completely unnecessary, while Blue laid at the foot of the hammock watching as well.**

**"****That's the kind of crap my parents would buy." She said to him.**

**Blue looked up from the TV at her. She didn't think he would respond to her words. He stood up.**

**"****What is it?" She asked.**

**He placed his snout under her hand and moved until it was on top of his head.**

**"****You want to be petted?" She asked.**

**He stared at her and blinked.**

**"****Ok." She said, sensing that was what he wanted.**

**She began to pet him and he placed his head on an empty spot on the hammock as she continued.**

**"****You're a good dog aren't you?" She asked as she scratched behind his ear.**

**Blue panted as he wagged his tail. **

**Bean entered to find Blue being petted by May. He gave off a slight smile, a smile that went unnoticed by May and disappeared before she could. Stir fry with chicken and egg noodles was for dinner tonight and the smell of the food drove May insane and made her stomach growl loudly. Bean began his usual silent approach to her, with Blue moving to the side to follow routine. He extended the food to her. A momentary stillness ensued from everyone as May looked at the food and then at Blue. He stared at her with eager eyes, almost begging her to eat. She then looked at Bean, sat up and accepted the food.**

**"****Thank you." She said, waiting to see if he would respond.**

**"****You're welcome." He replied before he headed back to the kitchen to make his plate.**

**He came back in with his plate and a plate of the same for Blue as well. Not always pampered like this Blue followed and hounded his master until he set his plate on the ground. He began eating right away. Bean set his food on top of the TV and then went to go unlock the garage door to the living room. He then sat down and began eating his food.**

**May stared at her food hesitantly. She had never had someone else, other than her parents, make her food. The fact it was a boy, even moreso being Bean, made it all the more nerve-racking. She was use to her food being served on fancy plates that were rimmed with gold and eaten with sterling silver silverware. This food however was served on a paper plate with a plastic fork. Nevertheless, she was starving, and the place surely wasn't a 5-star restaurant. She took a bite. Her eyes opened wide. She was amazed at how good it was.**

**"****I never expected you for a cook Bean." She said sarcastically as she took another bite; her way of giving a compliment.**

**He didn't respond.**

**"****Guess that's something I didn't know about you." She said to herself under her breath.**

**"****You know nothing about me." He responded with an annoyed tone in his voice.**

**"****Oh. Well then please tell me what else you can be other than what I saw yesterday." She rebutted, getting annoyed as well.**

**"****I can't."**

**"****Why not?"**

**"****Because you're the type who believes only what you want to see. Your sheltered life has made you see things in black and white. There's more to things than that."**

**"****Give an example."**

**"****Why when you could just look in the mirror?"**

**"****What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, insulted.**

**"****It means what it means. To everyone else you're this perfect little golden child. But what they don't see is the lack of passion for everything you work so hard for. They don't see the emptiness of something you can't explain."**

**May was taken back. It felt like he had stared straight into her soul and told her more about herself that even she didn't know. She felt vulnerable and wanted to cry. These feelings that she had thought were locked away inside were actually laid bare for the world to see. Or maybe, maybe it was Bean with the knack to sense these things. In this one day alone she had learned more and been proven wrong about a man she thought was clear cut and dry. She wanted to ask him how he knew these things, but a knock on the garage door kept her from asking.**


	5. Episode V

**Episode V**

** "****It's open!" Bean yelled so the person on the other side could hear him.**

**It was almost midnight and May wonder who or what kinda people would be coming over so late at night. It made her nervous, what if it was someone dangerous like Bean? She held her breath in suspense as the garage door flung open.**

**"****Hey Bean!" Robin said as she came in and closed the garage door and locked it.**

**"****Hey Red." He responded as he finished up his food.**

**May sat there dumbfounded. Why was Robin here; especially so late at night.**

**"****How is she?" Robin asked as she set down the backpack she was carrying.**

**"****More annoying than you were." He answered.**

**"****Really? That's hard to believe." She said as she walked over to her.**

**With every sentence added onto their conversation made May more and more confused. When Robin got over to May she began to look over her body invasively. May sat there uncomfortably but nonobjective as Robin examined her. She looked at the bandaged up cut on her cheek to the bruises on her neck, chest and wrist.**

**"****Oh yea, he worked you over pretty well." Robin said after she finished her observation.**

**"****Even tranquilized you too. Bet that hurts the most doesn't it?"**

**"****Ye…yea…" May answered, still not knowing what was going on.**

**"****Don't worry. You keep putting that cream on at least once a day and it'll be gone in no time. Why, I remember this one time when I had this dumb idea to try out for the school's softball team. I got hit in the arm with the ball really hard, left a bruise twice the size of it. Bean gave me some of that ointment and it cleared up in like a day or two. Or this other time…"**

**"****Red." Bean said, cutting her off.**

**"****Hm?"**

**"****She doesn't have time for your rants. She needs to sleep and so do I."**

**"****Right, sorry." Robin said, becoming focused again.**

**"****Did you take care of the things I asked of you?" Bean asked.**

**"****Sure did. I sent the email to the school that she was involved in a minor car accident and attached her mother's electronic signature. I also sent the taped recording to her parents that she was going to be staying the weekend at my place." Robin responded.**

**"****You sent a taped recording to my parents?" May interjected.**

**"****Yup!" Robin said cheerfully. "You wanna hear it?"**

**May nodded her head yes. Robin pulled her smart phone out of her pocket and played the recording that was sent to May's parents. The voice on the recording matched May's perfectly; it almost convinced her that she had pre-recorded it herself.**

**"****How did you…" May asked in awe.**

**"****I have my ways." Robin said, cutting her off.**

**"****What about the other stuff?" Bean asked, trying to get back on subject.**

**"****Oh ye of little faith." She said jokingly as she walked back over to the backpack.**

**She opened it up and pulled light purple female pajamas from it.**

**"****Wa-lah!" She said as she held them up.**

**"****Clothes for her for tonight, tomorrow, Sunday and Monday."**

**"****Good." Bean said as he got up from the couch and headed for the bedroom.**

**"****I'm going to sleep. I suggest you two do the same." He said.**

**"****Can't I eat first?" Robin pouted.**

**"****It was suggestion, not an order. I don't care what you do. Just don't be loud so I can sleep. You know where everything is already."**

**"****Do I get the couch?" Robin asked.**

**"****You know you do." Bean responded before he disappeared into the bedroom.**

** "****Here, put these on." Robin said as she handed May the purple nightwear.**

**"****Why is he keeping me here?" May asked as she accepted the clothes.**

**"****He needs to know that you'll be alright before he can let you go. That's just his style."**

**"****But I just want to go home." May said, crying a little.**

**"****I know." Robin said, consoling her with a hug.**

**"****But you can't right now. This is just how Bean is. He may act like a silent tough guy but on the inside he's just a big ol' softy. Trust me, I know how you feel." She said, letting go.**

**"****Really?" May sniffled. "How?"**

**"****Because everything you're going through right now I've already been through."**

**"****You have?" May said in shock.**

**"****Yes, but let's save that for tomorrow. Right now you need to change before Bean comes back and get some rest. It's gonna be a long weekend."**

**Bean had come back into the living room with a rolled up black sleeping bag and pillow in tow. May had already changed into her pajamas and was laying in the hammock with her back to everyone. Robin had already staked her claim to the couch with blankets and a pillow and sat on it eating the rest of the stir fry out of the pan while watching reruns of old TV shows, laughing at jokes she had heard a hundred times. Bean unrolled the sleeping bag in a space between the couch and hammock and laid down in it.**

**"****Make sure you turn everything off and clean up before you sleep." Bean nagged from the floor.**

**"****Go to sleep old man." Robin said as she finished off the rest of the stir fry.**

**Bean didn't respond, his eyes were already closed and back to her. It was 2:00am when Robin finished up. With the TV off and lights out the room was eerily quiet. Everyone laid asleep, except for May. Her mind raced with a million questions and hypotheses at once, keeping her unable to sleep. On top of that the cold night wind coming in from off the bay easily penetrated the poorly insulated garage, causing her to be unbearably cold. Her body shivered until it felt the warmth of a blanket being rested on top of her. She turned around to see Bean walking back to his sleeping bag.**

**"****Thank you." She said gratefully and sweetly. **

**Bean said nothing, just laid down and went back to sleep. It was time for her to do the same, because when the sun rose she wanted to know more about the man that was being so sweet to her.**


	6. Episode VI

**Episode VI**

**The morning came and May had woken up to the smell of breakfast. The smell of eggs, bacon and thinly cut fried potatoes with onions waft through the air and filled her nose. She rose up. Her body was in considerably less pain than the day before but she still hurt. However now she could sit up and move about a lot easier now. As she sat up in her hammock she looked over to the black sleeping bag that Bean was using. He wasn't in it. She looked over to the couch. Robin was laying there with her legs sprawled, night shirt bunched up uncovering her stomach and panties, and was snoring loudly with Blue laying on the couch beside her on his back doing the same.**

**(She is so unlady like) May thought to herself with a smile as she thought about how comical it was. **

**Over the snoring of the two she could hear the loud clanging of weights coming from the last garage. She got out of the hammock on wobbly legs to see what was making that noise. She used the wall to help her walk as she approached the door that lead to the second garage; the bedroom.**

**"****I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Robin said from behind her.**

**She turned to see Robin awake, her hair a matted frazzled mess.**

**"****Why not?" May asked.**

**"****Because out of all the rooms in here that's the one he doesn't like people in the most. Even I just got allowed to enter that room."**

**Before May could get away from the door it opened. She had been using it to hold herself up and as it gave way she did too; right into Bean's arms. She was taken by surprise and blushed profusely.**

**"****Mo…morning." She managed to stammer out. **

**Bean said nothing, just propped her up against the wall and walked away.**

**"****Go eat." He said as he made his way over by the couch.**

**He turned on the TV to catch the news and sat on the couch beside Robin as Blue got down.**

**May had made her way over to the couch area with Blue walking beside her as an aide, Robin and Bean had already gotten their food and were waiting on May to join them. Bean had her plate in hand and when May reached them she began to make her slow descent to the ground before she would accept it. Blue stared at her the whole time as if constantly asking if she needed help.**

**"****No." Bean said before she got half way down.**

**She stopped.**

**"****Here." He said, giving up his seat and putting her food on it.**

**Again she blushed a deep red as she took his spot on the couch next to Robin and Bean took a spot on the ground next to Blue.**

**"****Someone developing a little crush?" Robin asked teasingly, low enough that only May could hear.**

**"****No!" May blurted automatically.**

**She quickly cupped her hands over her mouth as Robin laughed and Bean looked back at her wondering what was going on. Embarrassed May quickly went into eating her food. Bean shrugged and went back to doing the same while Robin grinned at the both of them.**

**The news was over, Saturday morning cartoons were next; Robin's favorite. Right before they began Bean's cell phone rang. He answered it right in front of everyone instead of taking it in private.**

**"****Go…who is it? What do they look like? Can you send their picture to my phone? Thanks. Where will they be? And then? Alright. What time? Ok, got it."**

**He hung up. It was another job for Bean, May was sure of it. No matter how he would try and justify it she knew that these jobs of his were wrong. They disgusted her and all of his nice kind deeds were quickly forgotten. She once again looked at him as the person she had always seen him as before.**

**"****Job?" Robin asked, not looking away from her cartoons.**

**"****Yup." He said as he got up.**

**"****Taking your gear?"**

**"****No just equipment. I won't need gear for this." He said as he walked towards the dining room.**

**"****You wanna see where he's going? Robin asked May, her gaze still on the TV.**

**"****What?" May asked, not ready for Robin's question.**

**"****Do you want to see where he's going?" She repeated herself, this time turning her attention to her.**

**May knew wherever Bean was going wasn't good, and wanted no part of his illegal dealings. However once her curiosity was peaked she knew there was no turning back.**

**"****Yes." She said reluctantly, knowing she would regret it.  
"Bean." May called.**

**He stopped and turned back to the two of them.**

**"****Can we come with you?" She asked.**

**"****No. Tomorrow is Sunday. We'll go out then." He responded.**

**"****No. Not out with you, with you to the armory." She corrected.**

**"****Oh. I don't care." He said as he entered the kitchen.**

**"****Come on!" Robin said, hopping up excitedly.**

**(An armory?) May thought to herself.**

**She knew for sure that she wasn't going to like what she was about to see now, but she had already said yes and her curiosity would not let her go without seeing.**

**Through the dining room and through the kitchen was the armory, the place where customers would have come to shop for motor oil, spark plugs, oil filters and a number of other miscellaneous car items while they waited for their vehicle to be fixed. Robin and May were right behind Bean as he stood in front of the door, unlocking its numerous varieties of locks. Out of everything in the world, May hated guns the most. She saw them as abhorrent things, the ultimate killing weapon made by barbarians that could only solve their problems through violence. She was however trying to open up and learn more about Bean, so she continued to will herself to see these things. With the final lock unlocked he swung open the big heavy metal blast door and flicked on a light-switch. It took a second for the lights to come on but when they did they illuminated a whole room dedicated to weaponry. Pistols, sub-machine guns, rifles, assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, knives, explosives and an assortment of other weapons lined the walls and shelves of the room as far as the eye could see. There were even weapons that looked to be custom made. Bean walked over to the sniper rifle section while Robin and May just walked about looking.**

**"****Well? What do you think?" Robin asked.**

**"****I think I'm in hell." May said softly to herself.**

**She was ashamed that she even stepped foot in there, it was everything she thought it would be and more. She couldn't take it, it was making her sick. She quickly ran out the room before she could be overwhelmed.**

**"****May!" Robin called out to her as she started to go after her.**

**"****Let her go Red." Bean said as he took a Barrett M82A1 .50cal sniper rifle off the wall. "She's not like us. She's too pure."**

**"****But I thought you wanted to make her like us." Robin said.**

**"****No. That's her own decision to make, just like it was your own decision to make."**

**"****So what do you want from her then? Why are you really keeping her here?"**

**"****To make sure she's ok."**

**Robin knew Bean better than anyone. She knew that she and May's circumstances were different but she always felt that his overall goal was to make her understand life in all aspects and where he came from. Bean was secretive at times; hiding things about himself he wasn't willing to share unless he trusted the person. This is something she knew all too well. A liar was something Bean wasn't. So when he said he just wanted to know that she was ok she knew he was being sincere. Despite this for him to only want to know that she was ok surprised Robin. She smiled. He liked May; he just didn't know it yet.**

**It took everything May had in her to keep herself from vomiting. She finally caught her breath after successfully fighting the urge when Bean came back into the room. Dressed in normal outing clothes he also carried a large metallic briefcase. She had never been so conflicted in her life; half of her didn't want him to go and the other half didn't even want to be in the same country as him.**

**"****Do you have to go?" She asked, almost pleading.**

**"****No."**

**"****Then why are you going?!"**

**He didn't answer, just left, leaving her to Robin's care. Furiously she threw the closest thing to her, a tin plate, at the door with tears coming down her face**


	7. Episode VII

**Episode VII**

**Robin entered the room to find May sitting on the couch squeezing a back cushion and looking through the TV. She could tell that she was really having a tough time with all of this. She felt that if she cleared May's head of all the questions she had then maybe she would be less conflicted. It was worth a try.**

**"****Hey." Robin said consolingly as she approached her, her gaze quickly being drawn to the rest of the Saturday morning cartoons.**

**May looked up at her but said nothing.**

**"****You wanna…go…" She stopped short, her attention now directly on her favorite cartoon.**

**"****What?" May asked confused.**

**Robin didn't reply, she was off in her own world.**

**"****Robin!" May yelled, trying to get her attention.**

**"****Hmm?" She said; her attention split.**

**"****You were saying something."**

**"****What was I saying?"**

**"****About going somewhere."**

**"****Going where?"**

**May was becoming frustrated and wasn't in the mood. She got up and turned off the TV; she knew that Robin couldn't focus with it on.**

**"****Now focus. What were you going to ask me?**

**Robin came back to earth.**

**"****Sorry." She said as she embarrassly rubbed the back of her head.**

**"****I was going to ask you if you wanted to take a shower. I know I could use one with my hair the way it is."**

**"****Together?" May asked, taken back a bit by her offer.**

**Robin laughed.**

**"****No. Separately. Unless you're in to that kinda thing." Robin said jokingly with a wink.**

**May laughed as her anxiety lifted a bit now that it was just her and Robin.**

**"****No, I think separately would be better." May said, playing along.**

**"****Alright. Come on." Robin said as she went and gathered her backpack.**

**They walked over to the bedroom door and stopped.**

**"****We never went in here, alright?" Robin said.**

**May shook her head showing that the secret was safe with her. Robin turned back to the door and opened it. May was perplexed by the oddity of what she was seeing. Unlike all the other rooms of the old car garage this room was pristine, not a single speck of dust was visible. It was furnished with a beautiful king sized bed complete with silky smooth satin green sheets with frills on the edges and a cherry wood frame and also had cherry wood drawers, a dresser and a desk to match. On the left hand corner of the wall to which the door was attached was a custom made shower box.**

**"****I don't understand…" May said, the apparent out of placeness of the room amazing her.**

**"****This is all of his parents stuff." Robin said, answering her indirect question.**

**With everything that had taken place so far May hadn't realized that Bean had no parents. She always assumed he had parents, she assumed that everyone had parents, but never to think why she had never seen them at school; not even to pick him up. She guessed that the past her never really cared, or for the most part assumed his parents were just like hers or worse. Now it all made sense to her.**

**"****Where are his parents?" May asked, now intrigued.**

**"****They're dead." Robin answered.**

**The answer May received now made her even more curious, and even though she knew that it would be disrespectful she had to ask.**

**"****Oh my god." She said with a gasp. "How? Car accident?"**

**"****No. Murdered."**

**May felt ashamed but had to keep pressing on.**

**"****What?!" She said, assuming that their deaths would have been an accident.**

**"****Yea, but that's a story for Bean to tell you though. He doesn't like his life story being told through an intermediate." Robin said as she reached into the backpack and pulled out some clothes.**

**"****I'll go first." She said undressing. "If you wait in here don't sit on the bed. He'll know someone did." She instructed as she entered the shower. **

**May sat on the ground as she waited for her turn in the room that was more of a shrine than a bedroom.**

**It was early afternoon when they had both finished getting dressed. Robin, being the tomboy that she was, was wearing a simple pair of blue jeans complete with a female Manchester United football jersey that perfectly matched her once again curly red hair. May however was wearing clothes she was not accustom to. Like Robin she was also wearing jeans; only instead of blue they were black and a size to big. With a size too big black OBEY T-shirt to match she felt like a Goth. This was totally not her style.**

**"****Sorry." Robin said, sensing May wasn't too fond of the clothes she was wearing. "I didn't really have too many clothes that you would've like."**

**"****It's ok." May said, just glad that no one was around to see her dressed like this.**

**"****Robin." May called.**

**"****Hmm?"**

**"****Yesterday…you told me…that you've been through this before?" May asked hesitantly, her situation far from her mind and not wanting to bring it back to the surface.**

**Robin didn't answer at first.**

**"****Yea." Robin said after a momentary pause of silence.**

**May didn't know too much about Robin other than she was half Japanese and half white. Every time she saw her she was always smiling and full of life. However right now, with the memories of her own traumatic experience fresh on her mind, she had never seen one so sad. Tears started to stream down Robin's face.**

**"****Sorry. Bean always taught me that I should never hide my emotions. So I can never stop myself from crying." She said with a sniffle as she wiped her face.**

**May now felt a connection to Robin. She could tell her feelings were genuine, just like her own. In light of these unfortunate events she had made her first true friend, someone who she could confide in and tell anything to and could do the same with her. She went over to her newfound friend and held her hand in her own to help ease the pain of these unforgiving memories.**

**"****Thank you." Robin said, her tears abating. "I've never had to tell this story before; the only other person who knows of it is Bean."**

**"****It's ok if you don't want to Robin. I can understand." May said, her curiosity not getting the better of her this time.**

**"****No…it's ok. I can do this." She said as she took a deep breath to begin her story.**

**"****You already know that I'm half Japanese and half white. My father was a Marine and met my mother when he was stationed in Okinawa. My birth was a mistake, the result of a one-night stand. With both me and my mother unwanted my father only brought us to America out of pure obligation. We weren't citizens and because of that my father did whatever he wanted to us. He would never let us out of the house. We had to clean constantly and were beaten regularly. He…he…" She began to get choked up.**

**May held her hand tight.**

**"****He raped me…every single night. Some times in front of my mother…" Her eyes watered and drained tears. She left them there. "I looked out the window one day, and saw Bean. Something inside me screamed for me to stop him. I ran outside before my dad could catch me. I grabbed him and begged him to help us. He didn't say anything, just stared at me with those lifeless eyes of his. My father finally caught me and dragged me back inside while Bean just stared. At that point I felt like the whole world had forsaken me. He beat me so severely after that; both my eyes were nearly swollen shut. Night came, was about to be raped again. Suddenly I felt a warm liquid on me. I could barely see. The lights came on and I could make out only the blood of my father on my hands and his dead body laying next to me. I panicked. I went to scream but a hand was placed over my mouth. They told me that everything was going to be ok and to stay calm. I could hear other footsteps; more people with instructions to clean up and make the body 'disappear'. I felt hands on me but I didn't struggle. I heard my mother's voice asking where these people were taking us; I didn't hear anyone answer her though. We were put in a car and drove for what seemed like days. The rest is now history. The house me and my mother live in now, our citizenship, my mother's job, everything we've received to start our lives here in America has been thanks to Bean. He did and paid for everything. We can never repay him. I felt so helpless before Bean. So alone. I thought that my life was not worth living; that I didn't deserve to be alive. Bean changed all that. He taught me that I was worthy of life, and that I should live it the best I can and how I want to. He taught me to never hide my emotions and that if I love myself, then that's all that matters. He's my big brother, and that's why he calls me Red. I will stay by his side forever, no matter what happens."**

**May could feel the storm clouds of confliction billowing inside her again. Here was another example of the goodness of Bean, but did his ends really justify his means? That was something she just couldn't come to a conclusion on yet. She decided to put it off again for another day.**

**"****All the things he's done for you must have cost a fortune." May said.**

**"****Oh yea. Bean's a millionaire." **

**"****What?! How?!" May asked in disbelief.**

**"****All of the jobs he does. He gets thousands for a job alone. Sometimes a million depending on the job."**

**"****Then why does he live like…like this?!" She asked waving her arms about to sum up the entirety of the squalor.**

**"****He gives most of it away. To charities and non-profit organizations. Although he still has enough left over to live the rich life. So I guess I don't really know. I never asked him." Robin pondered.**

**"****So why does he call you Red? I always assumed it was because of your red hair."**

**"****It mostly is, but it's also because he says I remind him of his little brother Blue."**

**"****Brother? He has a brother?"**

**"****Yea. Two to be exact. His little brother Johnny Walker, or Blue, and his big brother Jack Daniels."**

**"****Why do they all have different names if they're brothers?**

**Robin laughed.**

**"****One: those aren't their real names. Two: they're adopted."**

**"****Jim Bean isn't his real name?"**

**Robin's laughter intensified, almost to the point of being hysterical.**

**"****No. You really don't know where those names are from?"**

**"****No…" May answered, feeling so dumb.**

**"****You really are pure aren't you? They named themselves after alcohol."**

**"****Why's that?"**

**"****That's story is part of a bigger story. One that Bean will have to tell you himself."**

**Their questions for each other and conversations continued well into the afternoon and into the evening. This was by far the best weekend that May had ever had. Her only thought for the future that day was if there were more days like this to be had.**


	8. Episode VIII

**Episode VIII**

**During that Saturday, while May and Robin enjoyed the comfort of each other company, Bean was out on the streets of San Francisco stalking his prey. While his target stood out amongst the commoners with his designer suits and his small group of bodyguards that accompanied him dressed the same; Bean blended in perfectly. He had already dropped off his suitcase carrying his sniper rifle at a predetermined location and tailed his target, Congressman Anthony Galardi from New Jersey, so that he could be ready from any deviation from his preplanned schedule.**

**The congressman's day was rather uneventful; meetings at city hall, lunch with politicians, a smoke break down by the water front under the Golden Gate Bridge. He even, as the day began to turn into night, stopped by a couple of high end designer stores to pick up gifts for his wife and mistress. Never following too far Bean decided to go into a store of his own.**

**As Bean entered a female clothing store that was across the street from the one Congressman Galardi was in he was approached and greeted by one of the store clerks. Her hair blonde dreads, ears of multiple piercings and her body full of tattoos she definitely fit the part of the store.**

**"****Welcome." She greeted. "Can I help you find anything?"**

**Bean shook his head no, trying to avoid conversation. The lady picked up on it.**

**"****Well if you need any help just let me know." She said before she tended to her other duties.**

**Even for her Bean's persona made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Bean began to look around, not for anything or anyone in particular but just to kill time. He noticed a red bonnet. He grabbed it. He continued looking around but found nothing of interest. He was about to walk over to the cash register and check out when something caught his eye. It was a vibrant blue summer dress with elaborate white designs; it completely stood out in the store and he wondered why he didn't notice it earlier. He grabbed it too. He walked over to the cash register and had the dreadlocks girl ring him up. He left his store at the same time the Congressman and his entourage were leaving theirs. It was back to work now, the hour for him to make his move fast approaching. **

**The end of the Congressman's day would be held in Little Italy. Bean had tailed Congressman Galardi's Escalade all the way there. Once in Little Italy his car stopped at a prominent hotel that had been part of the community for decades and was known to be frequented by Italian mobsters. As soon as the car had stopped the hotel lived up to its reputation because from out of it came out three well-dressed Italian men that were well known Mafioso's of the local Italian crime syndicate. Bean was across the street, standing in front of another hotel, and watched as Congressman Galardi got out of his Escalade and greeted each of the men before stepping inside with them. Bean checked his watch, waited for a minute and then entered his hotel. **

**"****Good evening sir." The front desk concierge greeted.**

**Bean paid her no mind though as he quickly walked past her, headed for his hotel room. He stopped next to an elevator with golden doors and pressed the up button. The doors automatically opened up, no need for Bean to wait, and he stepped right in and pressed the button to the 15****th**** floor. The elevator began it slow ascent towards the floor requested, making no stops for others in-between. Once on his floor Bean quickly headed to his hotel room. It was a simple room, complete with a single bed and a rest room area with the sink separate from the actual bathroom. On top of the bed sat his silver suitcase. He opened it up and began to assemble his Barrett M82A1 .50cal sniper rifle. Once assembled he loaded it up, put a round in the chamber and began to look at the Congressman's room through his scope. Their curtains were barely open, their silhouettes the only thing constantly visible through them. Throughout the hour Bean was presented with a number of opportunities to assassinate the Congressman, but he waited. He wanted to get his movements down, his mannerism and outline of his silhouette just right before he took his shot; he could not afford to take more than one. Once ready he took out his cell phone. He dialed three numbers and put the phone on speaker, all while still looking through the scope of his rifle.**

**"****911 what's your emergency?"**

**"****Congressman Galardi has been assassinated."**

**"****What?"**

**Bean didn't repeat, and a deafening boom could be heard over the phone. The round shattered Bean's window and the Congressman's before removing the top half of his body from the lower. Calmly Bean destroyed the cell phone, disassembled and repacked his rifle, picked up the empty shell casing and left the room.**

**He exited out of the back way of the hotel, cutting through alleyways as the sounds of screams, yelling and sirens could be heard off in the distance. He waved down a cab and entered when it came to a stop near him.**

**"****You complete your assignment?" The cab driver asked.**

**He was a shadowy figure, his voice strong with an Irish accent. His lights in the front of the cab were off and he sat low in his seat so the only thing that could be seen was his flat cap. Bean didn't need to know who this man was, and he didn't want to know. All he knew was that this was his point of contact between him and his employer, and that was enough for him.**

**"****Yes. Congressman Galardi is dead." Bean replied.**

**"****How can you be sure?"**

**"****I split his body in two."**

**"****What about evidence?"**

**"****I destroyed the phone. Anything else they find is completely untraceable."**

**"****Very well. Your payment is already in your account."**

**"****Good to know." Bean said as he stared out the window as the cab driver drove him home.**

**The cab driver had let Bean out a mile from where he lived. He knew the cab driver didn't care but had to always take precautions to safeguard his home. He walked from the point he was dropped off, passing by the usual fighting bums, drug dealers and prostitutes. It didn't take him long before he was home, the sun would be up in a few hours. He opened the garage to the living room and came home to everything being the same. He looked over to the couch; Robin was sprawled out on the couch with Blue, snoring loudly as usual. He looked over to the hammock, May was laying down facing towards him. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness a bit more he noticed that she was looking straight at him. He stared back, both of them not saying a word but speaking loudly. After a while she turned her back to him. He knew it was for the best and left it at that. He got undressed down to the bare minimum, got into his sleeping bag and fell right asleep. **


	9. Episode IX

**Episode IX**

**There was no smell of breakfast to wake up May this time, her eyes opened on their own. Bean was up before everyone once again, hidden in another room. Red was surprisingly up before her this time, her hair once again in an unmanageable state but this time sporting a red bonnet.**

**"****Kyaa!" Robin screamed with joy.**

**She took off the bonnet and admired it.**

**"****It's so cute!" She screamed as she hugged it tight.**

**Blue, who was sitting by her side, barked at her.**

**"****You think so too Blue?" Robin asked.**

**He barked in agreement.**

**"****What's that Robin?" May asked.**

**Robin turned to May and held up her hat.**

**"****It's a bonnet that Bean got me. Isn't it cute?"**

**"****Yea…it sure is…" May said, a little bit of jealousy in her voice.**

**Bean entered the room with a cooler.**

**"****Bean, did you get me this for today?" Robin asked.**

**"****Yes." He said as he set the cooler down.**

**"****What's so special about today?" May asked.**

**"****Sunday's are Bean's special days." Robin answered. "There's no phone calls, no jobs, no distractions. And usually he'll do whatever you want to do."**

**"****Really?" May asked, surprised that Bean would actually have a day of no violence.**

**"****Yes." Bean answered sternly, sensing what May was getting at.**

**"****It's Blue's day today." He said as Blue walked over to him in order to be petted.**

**"****That means we're going to the park!" Robin said excitedly.**

**She hopped up and started to walk towards the bedroom.**

**"****Come on May, let's go get ready!" She said, assuming that May was right behind her.**

**"****Uhh…Robin…" May called out to her, realizing that in her excitement that she had forgotten that Bean wasn't supposed to know that May had gone in there.**

**"****First I wanna get a warm-up on the swings! Then I'll have Bean spin me on the merry-go-round! After that I'll go to the playground! And then…" She continued her rant all the way into the bedroom, never noticing that May didn't get up from the hammock. **

**"****You don't have to pretend." Bean said.**

**"****Huh?" May asked, pretending not to know what he was talking about.**

**"****I know Red already took you in there."**

**"****How…how did you know?"**

**Bean just stared at her.**

**"****It's Red. She's predictable, just like you. I know you had to have taken a shower yesterday and that room holds the only shower." Bean said as he continued to gather stuff with Blue right at his heels.**

**Now that she knew that Bean knew that she had entered his most sacred room she felt almost compelled to ask about his parents.**

**"****Bean…about the bed…" She started.**

**"****You're not going to get ready?" He asked, indirectly telling her that he didn't want to answer her question.**

**She felt ashamed to ask something so personal so boldly. She pretended like she never brought it up.**

**"****No. I think I'd rather stay here. I have nothing to wear." She stated.**

**"****Yes you do." Bean said as he held up the blue summer dress that he bought for her the other day.**

**May's eyes lit up wide.**

**"****Is that…for me?" She asked.**

**Bean nodded. She got up from off the hammock and started to slowly walk over to him. She was in disbelief the whole walk over. She reached out for it and he handed it to her. She held it up for inspection as blue reflective lights danced off her face. Never had anyone bought anything for her. Even birthdays and Christmas's did she buy her own gifts. Bean and Blue both stared at her, waiting for her response. She stared at it for a bit longer before she brought it back down and held it close to her chest. Her face was flushed red as she tried her best to stammer out a response.**

**"****Ar…Ari…Arrigato!" She finally managed to get out before she lunged forward and wrapped her arms tight around his neck. **

**Bean's eyes opened wide in surprisement and Blue barked widely. Bean didn't know what to do; he had never experienced this before. His first instincts and reflexes wanted to throw off her hold, but with no malice behind the hug they were naturally suppressed. His face grew hot, his pulse began to rise. He didn't like any of it. He let her continue for a little while longer before he gently pushed her away.**

**"****Go get dressed." He said as he looked away.**

**She nodded with a smile as she ran off to the bedroom to try on her new gift. Blue calmed his barking while Bean also calmed his heart rate, his hand on his chest. **

**"****What the fuck was that?" He said with utter confusion.**

**A wide range, open field Dog Park that was far from Bean's hideout was their place of choice for the day. A bright sun shined its rays down from a cloudless blue sky onto the dogs and their handlers below. Owners played fetch with their pets, relaxed under the shade of trees off in the distance or mingled with other dog owners. Bean stood looking for an open spot to claim with his beach umbrella with May close by his side. Robin and Blue however could barely restrain their excitement as they waited for the ok from Bean to go play on the playground that was made for humans and animals. Bean finally found an open spot in which to set up; it even had an empty bench.**

**"****We'll be over there." Bean said to Robin and Blue as he pointed at the location with his finger.**

**"****Ok! Come on Blue!" Robin said as she took off towards the playground.**

**Blue barked and pursued, leaving Bean and May alone.**

**Bean and May walked over to the bench which surprisingly enough sat on top of a somewhat large hill. He set up the umbrella behind the bench and then plopped down in the relief of the shade. May took a seat next to him, as close as she could. An awkward silence ensued.**

**"****Well?" Bean asked.**

**"****Well what?" May asked confused.**

**"****I've known Red for a long time now, so I know she told you some things about me yesterday. I also know that she didn't tell you everything. So ask whatever it is you want to ask."**

**Once again Bean read her like a book, but it was something that she was becoming accustomed to.**

**"****Whatever I want?" She asked, trying to bring up the question she asked earlier.**

**"****Anything but that." Bean answered, knowing what she was implying.**

**That was something he wasn't ready to share with her yet. That wasn't the only question she had though, and she decided to let one be for the time being.**

**"****Why do you kill people?" She asked, this time turning to him when she asked him.**

**This question out of all the others she wanted to know the most. It was the only thing about him that truly disturbed her. She deeply wanted to know how someone she knew deep down was purely kind-hearted would be such a cold-blooded murderer. She wanted eye contact from him, yet he wouldn't give it to her. **

**"****I don't know." He replied, still looking off into the distance.**

**"****That's not good enough!" She yelled. "Someone that kills just for money wouldn't have saved me! Someone that kills just for money couldn't have shown me the kindness that I have seen these past three days!"**

**She received no response.**

**"****Bean…" She grabbed his face and turned it to hers. "Tell me why."**

**"****I'm sorry but I really don't have any definite answer. I guess the best response I could give you is that I've been doing this for so long and so often that I've gotten use to it. It's really one of the only things that I'm good at."**

**She sensed that was the best that she was going to get out of him. She let his face go.**

**"****Robin said you were a millionaire."**

**"****Yea."**

**"****Have you ever thought about retiring?"**

**Bean thought to himself for a minute.**

**"****No. Not really."**

**May wanted to ask him if he would consider giving it up for her but knew his answer would be no. She decided it was better not to ask and to move on to her next question.**

**"****Robin also told me that your real name isn't Jim Bean."**

**"****No it's not."**

**"****What is your real name then?"**

**"****I don't know."**

**"****For all the things you do know there are just as many that you don't." May said, getting slightly annoyed by all the ambiguous answers she was receiving.**

**"****It's not that I don't know I guess. Just that I don't think that I ever had a real name. If I did it was never told to me. The only names that I ever responded to before Jim Bean was little shit, bastard or boy."**

**May gasped.**

**"****Who would ever call a child those things?"**

**"****Our foster dad before our adopted parents." Bean said as he started to become nostalgic.**

**May hesitated with her next question.**

**"****Robin…said there was story behind the names…"**

**"****Yea…there is…" Bean said as he began to tell it.**


	10. Episode X

**Episode X**

**"****Hold still." An 11-year old boy said as he dabbed a rubbing alcohol soaked cotton ball onto another boy's cut. **

**He was several inches taller than the boy sitting across from him, complete with short blonde hair and deep greenish blue eyes.**

**"****But it stings." Whined a young 7-year old Bean.**

**"****I know it stings but if you don't clean it it'll become infected." The boy said as he continued to dab at the cut while Bean winced.**

**"****This is deep…" The boy said after he was finished cleaning it. "What did you do to make him cut you so bad?"**

**"****I broke another plate."**

**"****Again?"**

**"****It wasn't my fault." Bean proclaimed. "It was wet and soapy and it slipped out of my hands." He put his head down in shame.**

**The boy placed his hand on it.**

**"****I know it's not your fault." The boy said. "It's his fault. Only a coward would do this to a kid. One day though, one day he'll get his…" He said with pure anger and hatred.**

**"****Hey guys." Another boy said as he entered the room.**

**He was two years younger than Bean with deep rich chestnut brown hair that was short and combed back with light brown eyes and a baby-face to match.**

**"****Look what I scored." He said with a devilish grin as he showed them three gill sized alcohol bottles; one Jack Daniels, one Jim Bean and one Johnny Walker Blue Label.**

**"****Where did you get those?!" the eldest boy asked, sensing trouble.**

**"****That old bastard left his liquor cabinet open when he was passed out drunk. Always wanted to know what was in this stuff to make him act the way he does." He said as he opened up the Blue Label and took a sip.**

**He automatically spit it out.**

**"****Ughh…this taste awful…" He said as he wiped his mouth.**

**"****Here let me try." The eldest said as he walked over and reached for it.**

**The youngest pulled back.**

**"****No way. I can do this. Besides, I brought one for each of us. Here, you can have this one." He said, handing him the Jack Daniels. "Guess that makes this one yours." He said to Bean as he offered the Jim Bean to him.**

**"****But…won't we get in trouble?" Bean asked.**

**"****We're always in trouble." The youngest replied. "Besides, don't you wanna know why he is the way he is?"**

**Bean was hesitant.**

**"****He's right." The eldest concurred. "The action has already been done. We can't get into any more trouble than we'll already be in when he wakes up."**

**Bean continued to hesitate for a while before he eventually got up and partook in the experiment.**

** "****Why are we living like this?!" The youngest yelled as he sobbed uncontrollably.**

**The eldest was laying on the ground with a nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniels in his hands.**

**"****Wha…wha…wha do you mean?" He slurred out as he lifted his head to look at him.**

**"****Look at this! We live in this piece of shit house with a piece of shit foster parent! Every day some other kid gets picked up for adoption! Why not me huh?! Why not us?! What the fuck is so wrong about us?! I want nice adoption parents! I want toys! I want games! I want to be a normal kid!"**

**The eldest decided to go console him. He stood up on wobbly legs. He took a step and fell flat on his face. He tried again, same result. Walking wasn't going to work, he decided to crawl.**

**"****Listen…listen here." He said when he reached him and had his arm around him, holding him close. "This shit…its temporary. One day we're gonna have lots of moneys. We'll do…we'll do…we'll we'll do what we want. Parents…we'll have…good ones. Ones that love us. If not…that's ok's. Because we'll have each others. You guys…my fuckin brother's man. I'll never leave you two. Isn't…isn't that right?" He asked over to Bean.**

**Bean was sitting off in the distance, nodding off.**

**"****Hey." The eldest called.**

**Bean didn't answer.**

**"****Hey." The eldest called again, this time louder.**

**Bean slowly turned his head to him, his eyes half opened and glazed over.**

**"****Huh?"**

**"****You…you dead?"**

**Bean looked over his body.**

**"****I don't think so."**

**"****You…you tell me…if…if you're dead…ok?"**

**"****Ok. Oh and Jack?"**

**The eldest looked at him.**

**"****My name is Bean. Jimmy Bean." He said holding up his empty bottle.**

**"****Jimmy Bean huh? I like it!" He exclaimed with a smile. "But who's Jack?"**

**"****You are."**

**"****Me?"**

**"****Yea."**

**"****Why?"**

**"****Because you had a Jack Daniels. So your name is now Jack Daniels."**

**Jack gazed at his empty body.**

**"****Oh yea…"**

**"****So does that make my name Johnny Walker?" The youngest asked excitedly.**

**"****Yup. But I like Blue better." Bean answered.**

**"****We all have names now…" Blue stated. "It's gonna be nice not to be called 'Hey' anymore."**

**Just then a loud bang burst into their ears as the door swung open violently. There in the doorway stood their foster parent in a drunken fury. He was a balding, heavy set man in his early 50s. Thick hair ran from his hands up to his elbows and his chest hair poked out from his stained white shirt with his hairy beer belly poking out from the bottom as well. He stood there, panting heavily in a rage as he gripped the boys with fear.**

**"****What the fuck do you little shit's think you're doing?!" He yelled.**

**Blue ran and cowered behind Bean.**

**"****Who the fuck said you could take my shit?!" He yelled loudly as he approached.**

**Unintentionally, subconsciously and spontaneously Jack hopped up and lunged at him in one quick fluid motion; Jack Daniels bottle still in his hand. He then slammed the bottle into the man's right kneecap, shattering it and the bottle in the process. The man cried out in pain and fell to one knee as Jack came up behind him and put the broken glass bottle to the man's jugular.**

**"****Listen here you sorry excuse for a man." Jack said in a voice that was not his own.**

**It was almost a satanic sound with his once vibrant eyes growing dull and almost black to match.**

**"****We've had enough of your shit, and we're not gonna put up with it any more. Is this why you became a foster parent? So you can feel like a big man when you beat up on children? Well we're not afraid of you anymore. In fact it should be you that should be afraid of us. If you ever lay so much as a finger on us, if you so much as even look at us the wrong way, I swear to whoever is watching over this right now I will gut you like a fucking fish. Do you understand me?"**

**"****You little prick, when I get back up I'll…" **

**Bean stuffed his Jim Bean bottle in his mouth before he could finish his sentence. He then front kicked him as hard as he could in the chin, shattering the bottle in his mouth along with his teeth. Jack let go of him as the man screamed in muffled pain with his hands over his mouth as blood leaked from past his fingers.**

**"****He asked you a yes or no question." Bean said, his voice changing too to one void of emotion.**

**The man shook his head yes.**

**"****For four years we had to put up with your shit. Now you have to put up with ours." Jack said as he took his leave.**

**Bean and Blue looked upon the man as he rolled around in agony before they ran to catch up with Jack.**

**The sun was starting to go down into an orange horizon when Bean finished his story. Robin and Blue had finished up their game of fetch and were resting at the foot of the hill making shapes and things out of now present clouds.**

**"****We should get going." Bean said as he stood up.**

**May didn't want to go yet. She wanted to stay and watch the sun set with him and learn more about his life; mostly the forbidden question that he wouldn't answer. As much as she wanted to stay however she felt it too awkward to bring herself to ask. Bean whistled.**

**"****Blue, Red, let's go!" He yelled.**

**They both looked up at Bean.**

**"****Race you!" Robin said to Blue.**

**Blue took off towards Bean with Robin not too far behind. They all began to leave when they made it to the top; Blue the obvious winner. May only had a couple more hours to spend with Bean, and she was still conflicted as to if she wanted them or not. **


	11. Episode XI

**Episode XI**

**The sky went from a deep vibrant orange to one now infused with a bit of nighttime purple by the time the three of them made it back home; Robin had left the group in route to Bean's place to get ready for school the next day. The three of them were exhausted by the time they got back and as soon as Bean got the garage door to the living room open Blue went over to his set of rags and laid down. In the end May was glad that Robin went home early, she wanted the remaining hours of Bean's Sabbath to be just him and her. All that would change with what would happen next.**

**With Bean's back towards her she noticed the outline of a snub nosed .38 revolver sticking out of his waistband with the handle sticking outward.**

**"****What is this?!" She yelled in a fury as she grabbed it from his pants.**

**Bean, feeling his back-up gun leave his possession, automatically went into disarm mode without thinking. He quickly spun around, grabbed the gun, pointed it in a safe directed, and flipped May off her feet. May fell to the ground on her back, a small wince of pain coming from her mouth, as she looked up at the barrel of a gun with its trigger finger-free.**

**"****What the hell's wrong with you?" Bean asked as he put his gun back in his back waistband.**

**He extended his hand to help her up. She slapped it away.**

**"****Don't touch me!" She screamed as she got up herself.**

**"****What's your problem?" Bean asked getting angry.**

**"****My problem?! My problem is you! What happened to your day of no violence huh?!" She said referring to his gun.**

**"****My back-up?" Bean said as he reached behind him and felt it. "What about it?"**

**"****Why would you carry a gun on your day of pacifism?"**

**Bean looked at her with a confused look on his face.**

**"****Because it's a back-up?"**

**"****What does that even mean?! A back-up for what?!"**

**"****For in case something happens and I'm in need of a gun to get myself out of it."**

**"****You see? I knew it. You're so full of shit! I don't know why I ever thought you were cool! I should've known that you were nothing more than a killer! All that kindness was just complete bullshit wasn't it?!"**

**"****I'm not you! Ok?!" Bean blew up. "I didn't grow up with a house, with clothes, with food, with anything!" Anything I wanted I had to fight for it! Anything I needed I had to kill for it! My world isn't viewed through rose colored glasses like yours is! Its view for what it is; light and dark. You live in light, where your problems are solved with words. I live in dark, where mine are solved with bullets. I know you could never understand, and I never wanted to try and make you. But I at least thought you had the mindset to tolerate it!"**

**May didn't want to hear it; she didn't want to be confused and conflicted anymore. She just wanted to go back to her normal life and forget everything that had happened to her.**

**"****Whatever. You're so full of shit. I don't believe anything you say anymore. You can live any way you wanted to. You choose to do this so don't expect any sympathy from me! Well I won't be apart nor a witness to this anymore! I'm going home!" She yelled as she opened the garage door and disappeared into the night.**

**Blue looked up from his bed and noticed that May was leaving. He started to go after her.**

**"****No Blue!" Bean yelled.**

**He stopped and whined.**

**"****Come back here. Fuck her. We don't need her in our lives."**

**Blue reluctantly returned to his master's side as Bean closed the door. Everything was once again quiet in Bean's hideout, everything back to normal.**

**"****Fuck…" Bean whispered softly to himself. **

**He was still upset, but not about the fight. He didn't know what it was, and the longer his anger went unanswered the more it grew.**

**"****Fuck!" Bean yelled in a rage as his anger reached a boiling point.**

**He began to throw things about and smash items, cursing and yelling the whole time. Blue cowered in the corner as he watched his master act in a manner he'd never seen before.**

**On a moonless night May waited on the corner of a bus stop under a flickering street light. It was well past midnight and the bus was no longer coming, but still she stood there; not knowing any other way home. Eerie sounds and voices off in the distance scared her; however she was still too angry to show it. Her anger gave her strength and she knew that she would need it in an area like this. She continued to wait as three heavy set bikers rode past her slowly. They stared at her as they went past and as uncomfortable as they made her feel she stared right back, showing no fear. They rode a bit down the road, their tail lights the only thing visible, when May heard their engines stop. She began to feel uneasy as she tried to listen for them. She could hear the murmurs of them talking amongst themselves off in the distance. This place was not safe for her anymore, she started to walk away. She could hear their heavy footsteps behind her, growing closer and closer. She wanted to run, but her anger wouldn't let her and she knew that they could easily catch her either way. She decided to turn around and confront them.**

**"****What?" She snapped angrily.**

**"****We were just wondering what a pretty little thing like you is doing all the way out here so late at night." The lead biker said.**

**"****For your information I was just going home."**

**"****Let us give you a ride."**

**"****No thanks. I can manage on my own." She said as she turned around to take her leave.**

**The second biker grabbed her by her arm before she could get too far.**

**"****We're not taking no for an answer. Let us help you." He said sternly as he squeezed her arm.**

**"****Let go of me!" May yelled as she turned around and kicked the man hard in the balls. **

**The biker instantly let her go and doubled over on the ground in an intense dull throbbing pain. May started to run, the other bikers gave chase. She didn't get too far before she was tackled to the ground by the third biker. She fought and struggled as he turned her around. A spit to his face was met with a hard punch to her left eye, almost knocking her unconscious. May screamed for help, her only scream for help before she was gagged by the lead biker with his belt. Her only salvation now would be if someone, anyone, heard it.**

**Bean had finally calmed down as he sat on a destroyed couch with the debris of destruction all around him. At his feet laid Blue, glad his master was back to his old reserved self, and at his side laid his curved combat blade that he had used to stab holes in the couch. He just sat there quietly, unmoving and unblinking, staring off into space. Suddenly he was hit by a jolt that came out of nowhere. It was unexplained and it radiated throughout his entire body. Something wasn't right. He didn't know what it was but knew he didn't have time to figure it out. Blue lifted his head and growled a low growl, showing that he sensed that something was up too. Bean grabbed his knife.**

**"****Come on Blue!" He yelled as he ran over to the garage door and opened it.**

**Blue barked as he followed his master's lead. Both of them took off into the night, relying solely on their instincts to guide him.**

**Two of the bikers held down May's arms as she continued to struggle to no avail. The third sat on top of her and began to remove her panties. Tears rolled down her face as she tried to fight harder, however her energy was rapidly leaving her as she began to fight less and less. Once he had gotten her panties down around her ankles he began to unbuckle his pants.**

**"****Don't worry, we're gonna make you feel real good." He said with an evil smile and chuckle.**

**Off in the distance Bean could make out the silhouette of May and three other men on top of her.**

**"****Blue! Go!" Bean ordered.**

**Blue barked loudly as he took off ahead of his master. May could hear Blue's barking growing nearer, relief washed over her.**

**"****The fuck is that?" The second biker said.**

**From out of the darkness appeared Blue and he lunged at the man's neck. The biker had enough time to bring up his right arm to protect himself and Blue's jaws clamped down on that instead. Blood spewed from his arm as he was knocked off his feet and shaken violently about by Blue. The two remaining bikers were taken by surprise by this and that gave Bean the element of surprise himself. Before either of them had time to react to Blue, Bean was upon them. He ran up and booted the biker on top of May in the temple with steel toed shoes; knocking him off of her.**

**"****Motherfucker!" The lead biker yelled as he took out a ballpeen hammer.**

**Bean quickly rushed towards him. The biker took a horizontal swing at Bean's head but he ducked under it. He then grabbed the man by the face, put his right leg behind his and tripped him while driving his head to the ground in the process. Once on the ground Bean hopped on top of him and put his combat blade to his throat.**

**"****Take a look, take a good look at my face. If you ever see me again before I see you then you better turn around and go the other way. Because I don't forget faces and I've seen all of yours tonight. If I ever see any of you ever again I will kill you. I will not hesitate; I will not show mercy or remorse. It doesn't matter when or where, how or why. Just know that if I lay my eyes on you ever again those will be the last few minutes you will ever have breathing. Do we understand each other?"**

**The biker shook his head rapidly.**

**"****Good. Blue!"**

**Blue stopped his assault and heeled back at his master's side.**

**"****Gather you companions and leave." Bean ordered.**

**The biker said no words, just got his friends and left.**

**May slowly rose to her feet, her panties back in their proper place.**

**"****Thank you." She said, wiping her face. "But…I could've handled it without you."**

**"****Shut up." Bean said; his back towards her. **

**"****The same thing I said to them, applies to you too." He said as he turned to her, malice in his eyes.**

**May was more frightened now than at any point of the attempted rape.**

**"****If I ever catch you here again I'll kill you. You've drawn much too much unwanted attention to me and my home. I don't need this, and I don't need you. I was taught that you should live with no regrets; but you're selfish, immature and pig-headed and I regret saving you that night! I regret saving you now!"**

**"****No one told you to do it! I've never wanted to have anything to do with you anyways!" She said, starting to cry.**

**"****Whatever. Just go home. No one will bother you anymore. I promise you that." He said as he walked away with Blue in step.**

**May watched him go as she continued to sob.**

**"****Fine!" She yelled before she turned around and went her own way off into the darkness.**


	12. Episode XII

**Episode XII**

**An alarm clock rang. May woke up to it in a frenzy. It had startled her; with everything that transpired this weekend she was not use to such normalcies. She quickly turned it off and looked around her room. Everything was back to normal, how she wanted it. Her feeling of emptiness was also back. She hadn't noticed till now but being with Bean, Robin and Blue had made that emptiness go away. She quickly put it out of her mind; even the letters that made up his name enraged her. It was time to get ready for school, time to get back into her old routine, and that started out with a shower; one she desperately needed. She was still in the summer blue dress that Bean had bought her. She quickly took it off, crumpled it up and threw it in the corner as she made her way to the shower.**

**After the shower came breakfast, like always. May was the first one down to eat breakfast like always as well with her mother being second.**

**"****Good morning." Her mother emptily greeted in Japanese.**

**"****Good morning." May replied back in the same language and manner.**

**After the forced pleasantries her mother went straight into her morning coffee. May couldn't believe it. Was she a robot? Something completely and utterly out of the ordinary had happened this weekend and her mother didn't even think to ask one question about it. She didn't even notice. Even if May did have a false account that she would have to lie about to maintain she thought this new turn of events would surely give them a meaningful conversation to have around the breakfast table. Instead she received nothing. May clicked her tongue and turned her head away from her.**

**"****May…" Her mother called.**

**A wave of excitement washed over May; maybe she was wrong about her parents.**

**"****Yes?" She asked, ready to answer any questions her mother had.**

**"****Your eye…"**

**"****Oh…" May said as she touched it. "Well…what happened was…"**

**"****Make sure you put some make-up on it. It's unsightly. We can't have you going to school like that." Her mom said as she finished her coffee and went to go finish getting ready.**

**(What?!) May yelled in her head.**

**She was infuriated. Her mother had said the words so nonchalantly. She had shown that she cared more about her daughter's physical appearance than her health and well-being.**

**(Even Bean cares more than my parents.) She thought.**

**Bean. She had thought about him again. She couldn't understand why she couldn't get him out of her mind. It frustrated and stressed her to the point where blood started to leak from her nose. She wiped away the blood and slowly calmed herself down so that she could finish getting ready for school.**

**The silver Mercedes-Benz was the first car in the school driveway as usual, May looking out the window to avoid any type of visual contact with her mother. As soon as the car started to come to a stop she gathered her things and stepped out before it could stop completely.**

**"****Have a good day." Her mother said to her.**

**"****Fuck you." May said under her breath as she slammed the door and walked away into the school.**

**As soon as she entered the school the Principle was there waiting for her.**

**"****May!" He said in a worried tone.**

**He ran up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.**

**"****I'm so glad to see you're alright. You had the whole school worried!"**

**May stood there, her heart began to sink.**

**(Do they know? No, no way. How could they?) She thought to herself.**

**"****I'm glad to see that you're feeling well enough to be coming back to school after the accident though."**

**"****Accident?"**

**"****Yes. Your mother called and informed the school that you and your dad were involved in a car accident but that you were both ok."**

**"****Oh yes." May said, playing along with the story. "Sorry. I'm still a little hazy about the whole thing. They say that I was knocked unconscious when I woke up in the hospital, and that all my injuries were superficial."**

**Students and teachers could start to be heard in the background.**

**"****Well like I said, we're all just glad you're alright. We'd hate to lose this school's star pupil."**

**"****What?" May said, getting upset again.**

**"****I said we'd hate to lose our top student." He said again**

**May sighed with disgust as she brushed past him to catch up on her student council duties.**

**"****May?" The principle called, not understanding why she had become so upset.**

**She gave him no reply.**

**(Am I just an asset to everyone?!) May thought to herself.**

**(Is there anyone who truly cares about me? Cares for me?)**

**(Bean does.) Her conscious said to her.**

**She ignored it.**

**Bean sat in his first class of the day on time as he waited for it to start. All around him students talked about their frivolous weekends amongst each other while right beside him Robin talked his ear off about questions on the homework.**

**"****Bean what did you get for this answer?" She asked as she pointed to it.**

**"****x=5 and y=17." He answered**

**"****And this one?"**

**"****25.25%" **

**"****And this one?"**

**"****You didn't do your homework again did you?" He said, finally turning his attention to her and making eye contact.**

**"****What? Of course I did. I'm insulted that you'd even assume." Robin lied as she turned up her nose to him with arms folded and eyes closed.**

**Bean used this opportunity to take her homework assignment sheet while she wasn't looking. She popped open her eyes when she heard the sound of her paper being whisked away.**

**"****Hey! Give that back!" She pouted as she reached for it.**

**Bean held her at bay as he looked over it.**

**"****If you did it then why do you only have the answers I just gave you on it?"**

**"****Ok fine I didn't do it. But it's not my fault! The season finales of all my favorite shows were on that night. Some were even two hours long. By the time they were all done I was too tired to do it."**

**Bean wrote down the answers.**

**"****Here." He said as he gave the paper back.**

**Robin accepted it with surprise.**

**"****Really?" She asked.**

**"****Yea."**

**"****What ever happened to the 'you need to do your homework yourself' thing?" She asked, mocking his voice.**

**"****Couldn't tell you." Bean sulked as he turned back away from her.**

**Robin sat there quietly before she reached over and put her hand on his forehead.**

**"****You feeling ok?" She asked, taking his temperature.**

**"****Leave me alone." He said, swatting it away.**

**"****Leave me alone?" Robin said flabbergasted. "Alright. Who are you and what the hell did you do with Bean!"**

**Shortly after saying those words May walked into the classroom. Instantaneously she was swarmed by the students and asked hundreds of questions.**

**"****May! Thank goodness you're alright." One female student said to her.**

**"****Do your injuries hurt?" Another female student asked, looking over her fading bruise on her neck, the forming scar on her cheek and her ever visible black eye.**

**"****Do you need someone to take care of you?" A male student asked perversely.**

**May sweated and smiled as she took a few steps back to give herself breathing room. She was grateful that they seemed so worried about her well-being, even if the quantity of the questions were overwhelming, but she couldn't help but wonder which one of them was truly being sincere. She looked around her classmates, trying to get her wits about her before she answered questions when she inadvertently looked in Robin and Bean's direction.**

**"****Robin!" May yelled out with a smile.**

**"****Hi May!" Robin yelled back with a smile and a wave.**

**May's smile quickly left her when her eyes interlocked with Bean's. She quickly turned her gaze away with a slight frown.**

**"****Look Bean, it's May. Wanna go greet her?" Robin asked.**

**Bean said nothing. Just quietly got up, stuck his hands in his pockets and left the room.**

**"****Bean? Where are you going?" Robin asked.**

**Bean didn't answer, just opened the door to exit the room.**

**"****But class is about…" Bean left and slammed the door before she could finish her sentence. "to start…" She finished somberly.**

**May had managed to escape the crowd as she made her way over to Robin. **

**"****Good morning Robin." May greeted properly in Japanese as she sat down in the seat Bean was just in.**

**"****Good morning May." Robin said in the same manner and language.**

**Small murmurs could be heard throughout the classroom about May's new found friendship to Robin. However May and Robin paid them no mind. The two friends were now off in their own world, the only ones who knew the real story of what happened over the weekend.**

**"****You know, you just missed Bean. He left for some reason." Robin said.**

**"****Forget about him." May said automatically but in a cheery way.**

**"****But…I can't forget about him. He's my brother." Robin replied; taking May's words literally. **

**May laughed.**

**"****No I don't mean forget about him completely, I mean just forget about him for right now."**

**"****Did something happen between you two when I left?" Robin asked, knowing they were both acting weird.**

**"****Nope, nothing at all." May lied, trying to avoid the topic.**

**"****You sure? Because Bean was acting in a way that I have never seen him act before."**

**Curiosity had bit May.**

**"****You mean he wasn't acting like a complete jerk?" She asked.**

**"****No. He seemed…sad…" Robin said as she thought about Bean's demeanor.**

**(Sad?) May thought to herself.**

**She shook her head vigorously before questions could formulate in it.**

**"****But Bean couldn't be sad. He doesn't know the meaning of sad. He must just be sick or something." Robin said with a laugh.**

**"****Yea…must be…" May said with a fake laugh.**

**"****So…what happened after I left last night? Anything perverted?" Robin asked with a perverted grin on her face.**

**"****What? No!" May said blushing.**

**"****Then why are you blushing?"**

**(Why am I blushing?) May thought. "No reason. Look nothing happened. We just both went to sleep and now I'm here."**

**"****Together?"**

**"****Separate."**

**"****Oh come on May, I know more happened than that. You didn't have that black eye when I left."**

**"****Did you catch the season finales of the Japanese soap operas last night Robin?" May asked, knowing that this would throw her off subject.**

**"****Did I?!" Robin said as her mind was wiped clear of what they were originally talking about and now replaced with her shows.**

**Class had started, and Bean had entered the classroom several minutes late to the dismay of the teacher. The usual scolding had commenced, followed by detention after school. Bean nodded that he understood and walked to the back of the classroom to take up an empty seat that no one used; leaving his assigned seat next to May vacant. Throughout the day this process continued as Bean deliberately went out of his way to avoid May. May gave no hint of objection; didn't even seem to realize or have it affect her as she quickly melded back into her old school routine. The only person who these actions were obvious to was Robin. She continued to watch the both of them, the oddities of their behavior causing her to be bewildered. Bean even went out of his way to not sit at his usual spot in the cafeteria for lunch, leaving Robin to eat alone.**

**School ended and the routine exodus commenced as soon as the bell to end school chimed. Bean was beginning to take his leave as well when Robin blocked his path to the entrance doors to the school.**

**"****What's going on Bean?" She asked sternly.**

**It was out of place for Robin to speak with such boldness.**

**"****Nothing." Bean answered.**

**"****Because you answered nothing means that it's something."**

**"****How do you figure that?"**

**"****Because if it really was nothing you would have asked me to clarify. You assumed; you never assume. You never say leave me alone either."**

**"****I just knew what you were talking about."**

**"****You're assuming again. What happened to you and May last night? Why does she have a black eye?"**

**"****Why don't you just go ask her?" Bean said with disgust.**

**"****I'm asking you!" Robin yelled.**

**Bean was taken back. Robin had never yelled at him before. Before he had a chance to respond his cell phone rang. He answered it.**

**"****Go."**

**"****You know we're going to have to work on your people skills. The correct and polite word to use is hello."**

**"****What is it Fox?!" Bean yelled into the phone, not in the mood for games.**

**"****Whoa, touchy. Alright. I've got a job for you; however given the profile of it you might not take it."**

**"****What is it?"**

**"****Well you know those bikers you got into it with last night?"**

**"****Uh-huh."**

**"****Seems they put a bounty on your head. A measly $20,000. Turns out you did quite a number on their guys. One's got a concussion, one had to get several stitches and the other is in a coma."**

**"****The point Fox."**

**"****Right. Well it seems that these guys have been a pain in the ass for another one of my clients and he's offering $50,000 to off these guys. Seems like they're that small fry. Now I know that this is a pretty small time contract for you to take but since its killing two birds with one stone I thought I might as well have one bird kill the other and save the stone."**

**"****How much?"**

**"****What?! You're going to take it?!" Fox said on the other line.**

**"****How much Fox?"**

**"****Right. $40,000."**

**"****What am I getting in to?"**

**"****They're gonna run a fake raid on a rival biker gang and trap you. After seeing what you did to three of their guys alone they don't wanna take any chances."**

**"****Time?"**

**"****Midnight tonight. I'll send you the location and other information via your cell phone."**

**"****Thanks." Bean said as he hung up the phone.**

**He turned back to Robin.**

**"****I'm gonna need your help with a job tonight Red."**

**"****How much?"**

**"****$40,000."**

**"****You're going to need my help with a $40,000 op? Bean what the hell has gotten into you?" Robin said, now getting worried.**

**"****I don't know!" Bean said, finally caving in. "Can't you see that I don't wanna talk about it though?"**

**Robin had never seen Bean act in this manner before. He was sad and conflicted; she could see it all over his face. She began to worry.**

**"****Bean…don't take this job…"**

**"****Are you going to help me or not?"**

**Robin hesitated.**

**"****Yes." She said with her head down.**

**"****Good. Go home and get set up then. I need to do the same."**


End file.
